Middle East Experience

The astronauts were originally set to return earlier, but bad weather had forced a delay and meant the astronauts had to spend more time in orbit than they originally planned.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Ax-1: Israel's astronaut Eytan Stibbe returns to Earth

"The only ones, the only ones, breaking the status quo on the Temple Mount are the Palestinian terror groups inflaming the holy sites," said Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: 'Palestinian terrorists' to blame for Temple violence, Erdan tells UNSC

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INDIA QUOTE Responding to the re-arrest today of Jignesh Mevani, an independent Dalit member of the Gujarat legislative assembly, immediately after he was granted bail by a court in Assam, Aakar Patel, Chair of Amnesty International’s India Board, said: “The fact that Jignesh Mevani was arrested for a second time immediately after being ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: India: Opposition politician Jignesh Mevani re-arrested amid ‘escalating crackdown’

The vast St Gregorios Orthodox Church in Sharjah has for over a decade served as a touchstone for the booming Russian and eastern European community..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: In the shadow of war, Russians, Ukrainians celebrate Easter in UAE

Russia continues to be an important tourism market for Dubai, the CEO of Dubai Tourism Issam Kazim said at a news conference on Tuesday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Russian tourists are continuing to visit Dubai, Kazim said, adding that the city will remain open to them.Read more: Saudi Tourism Authority, Dubai’s Emirates sign MoU to increase flights to KingdomDubai ruler announces $1.72 billion investment in housing for citizensEid al-Fitr holiday dates announced for UAE private sector
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia still an important tourist market for Dubai: Dubai Tourism CEO

Saudi Arabia’s start-up rates for women in tech are higher than that of men, a research report published in April 2022 by Endeavor Insight found.The report also found that the participation rate of women in the tech sector is higher than the European average.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.According to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Communications and Information, the participation rate of females in the tech sector stood at 28 percent in the third quarter of 2021, above the European average rate of 17.5 percent.Saudi Arabia issued 139,754 new commercial licenses to women in 2021, marking one of the largest growth rates according to records.The ministry reported a 112 percent increase in commercial registrations issued for women entrepreneurs in six years from 2015. In contrast, the report said that 65,912 commercial registrations were issued to female-owned businesses in 2015.The research report credits most of the changes to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 framework, with key elements of private sector investment and talent-attraction and retention fueling the sector.A key area of development for tech start-ups in progressing from a small company and scaling to firms with more than 50 employees, the report found.“Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a regional hub for tech entrepreneurship in the Middle East if more companies reach scale,” research showed. Having more than 50 employees reportedly helps with resiliency in times of economic turmoil.According to the same research report, 50 percent of the companies in tech were founded in the last five years.The Ministry of Investment’s recent initiative to revamp the country’s legal system for foreign investors is also expected to result in an increase in international businesses by over 50 percent, according to reports.Under the new law, both foreign and local investment will receive equal treatment as the Kingdom looks to diversify its economy from oil exportation. It will grant foreign investors the freedom to manage, sell, and dispose of their economic projects and own any necessary properties, ensuring smoother business operations.It will also give both local and foreign investors the full support of all competent government authorities and ensure that both are subject to the same sectoral approval requirements for registration, licenses, and approvals for permits needed for specific economic activities or zones.According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the percentage of the adult population involved in an entrepreneurial operation rose from 13.7 percent to 22.4 percent between 2016 and 2020.The findings in the Endeavor Insight report are based on 70 interviews with tech entrepreneurs and more than 340 companies and their founders.Read more:High oil prices to power Gulf economies amid inflation risksSaudi finance minister says int’l cooperation needed for global economic recoveryMiddle East records highest jump in confidence, orders as per global economic survey
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia boasts higher women-in-tech startup rates than Europe: Research report

Dubai issued the Regulation of Virtual Assets law and established the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in March, aiming to establish a legal framework for businesses in the virtual assets space.Virtual assets are digital representations of value which can be traded, transferred or used as a form of payment. These include cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Al Arabiya English sat down with Nadim Bardawil, Partner at Dubai-based law firm BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem and Associates LLP, to clarify what the new law entails and what it will mean for businesses operating in this space.“It lays the foundation for the creation of a new regulator in the Emirate of Dubai, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority or VARA for short,” Bardawil said.“The Virtual Assets Law acts as a foundation for VARA to operate within the Emirate of Dubai and specifically within the Dubai World Trade Center. Its objective will be to regulate companies providing services linked to virtual assets within the Dubai World Trade Center as well as to promote the DWTC as a hub for companies operating within the virtual assets industry,” he added.Since the new law was issued, VARA has not yet specified exactly how it plans to regulate virtual assets. Bardawil said that he expects the first set of regulations to be issued during the second quarter of the year.“Dubai set its sights on prioritizing the usage of blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies more than six years ago; a good precursor for the eventual creation of VARA.”Why is regulation so important? Over the past few years, traditional finance and the virtual asset economy have become increasingly intertwined, making it more important than ever to regulate virtual assets.“A large majority of virtual assets rely on decentralized structures which means that they are not created to have a centralized regulator,” Bardawil explained.This enables market users to buy and sell virtual assets without any oversight of a central bank or financial regulator.“As more and more institutional investors begin to invest in virtual assets, the market is looking for certain elements of financial regulation to be applied to virtual assets which should allow for more entrants as well as reduce the risks of financial crimes being committed.”There has been a rise in crypto crime recently. In a previous interview with Al Arabiya English, crypto research firm Chainalysis said that such crime increased the most throughout 2021, with an 82 percent rise in scamming revenues amounting to $7.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency.In addition to this, NFT fraud, wash trading and money laundering have surged exponentially in the virtual assets space recently. Chainalysis found that NFT scammers alone made more than $8.8 million in illicit profits.What does the new law mean for UAE companies? With these issues in mind, the need for regulation is more important than ever.Dubai has quickly become one of the most major crypto hubs in the world and Bardawil expects that Dubai’s new law will attract more start-ups operating in this space.“We anticipate that more start-ups targeting the virtual asset space will begin to choose Dubai as either a launchpad for their operations or as a key market,” he said.“The UAE as a whole has already put itself squarely in the list of jurisdictions that is willing to regulate nascent technologies such as those utilized in the creation and buying and selling of virtual assets and this development continues to bolster this strategy.”“We anticipate Dubai continuing to grow its volume of crypto related businesses as well as businesses targeting everything Web3.0 based.”Read more:Scamming revenues rose 82 pct in 2021 to $7.8 bln worth of stolen crypto: ExpertNFT fraud: Money laundering and wash trading on the rise, expert warnsRussian cybercriminals may be evading Ukraine war sanctions through crypto: Expert
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE’s new Virtual Assets Law: How does it work, what will it mean for businesses?

Indonesia has become a primary battleground between democratic and autocratic visions of Islam in the 21st century, with Nahdlatul Ulama pitted against Abdullah bin Bayyah, a Sunni high priest who provides UAE autocrats with religious legitimisation. Commentary by James M. Dorsey..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Islam in Southeast Asia: Autocratic versus democratic Islam

The top US diplomat continues to believe that reaching a nuclear deal with Iran is in the best interest of Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Tuesday.Speaking to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Blinken was pressed on the Biden administration’s adamance on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We continue to believe that getting back into compliance with the agreement would be the best way to address the nuclear challenge imposed by Iran,” he said.Blinken vowed to hold an open Iran hearing before Memorial Day, which falls at the end of May. “We will make sure that we get that done,” he said.Blinken reiterated previous comments that the Biden administration inherited a “very challenging situation,” adding that there were “ramped up” Iranian escalations.The secretary also claimed that Iran’s nuclear breakout time went from a year “to a matter of weeks” due to the US withdrawal from the deal. “Iran is acting with more destabilizing effect throughout the region,” he said.However, Blinken admitted that the deal would “do nothing” to address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its support for destabilizing countries in the region.Blinken also hit back at criticism of the deal, saying that if an agreement was reached, it would not take away from Washington’s ability to go after Iran using sanctions, interdictions, and stopping the money flow Tehran could use for weapons.“When it comes to these activities, it would be worse if they had a nuclear weapon,” Blinken suggested.The chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Bob Menendez, said the deal would not be in the best interest of the US.“2022 is not 2014 or 2015,” Menendez told Blinken, referring to years when the deal was negotiated under the Obama administration.Read more: Top Democrat warns Biden administration against lifting IRGC terror designation
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US wants deal with Iran, but it does ‘nothing’ to address missile program: Blinken

Disney has so far declined edits to the Marvel film “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” slated for release in early May..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Saudi Arabia on censorhip hunt against ‘LGBTQ references’ in Marvel film